IS IT OPEN

LAST UPDATED: 09 SEPT 2026

USER PRIVACY & DATA TRANSPARENCY PRINCIPLES

At Is It Open, we are deeply committed to protecting your personal privacy and ensuring a safe, transparent, and trustworthy environment for all our users and registered merchant partners. We firmly believe that your private information belongs solely to you, and we design our systems to minimize data collection wherever possible.

Our core philosophy centers on transparency; we do not engage in hidden data mining practices, nor do we sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third-party advertisers for target marketing. We believe in earning your trust by being completely open about how we handle any information you share.

Any information processed through our platform is utilized strictly to deliver, maintain, and optimize our live storefront directory services. This ensures that you receive highly reliable, real-time updates on shop operational hours, dynamic weekly schedules, and verified holiday timetables without compromising your digital footprint.

MANDATORY REAL-TIME LOCATION & GEOLOCATION USAGE

To provide you with highly accurate and context-aware storefront timing details, the Application requires mandatory access to your device's live geolocation data. Since our core service is showing nearby active businesses, location permission is strictly required to access and use the platform. This location information is processed in real-time to calculate distance thresholds between your current physical coordinates and registered local businesses.

Our system uses these calculations to dynamically display whether a shop is nearby and physically accessible at the exact moment of your query. We prioritize strict data minimization, meaning your exact location is used purely for immediate localized calculations.

Your physical coordinates are never permanently logged, tracked, or stored in historical databases for building behavioral profiles or advertising profiles. By granting the Application mandatory location permissions, you enable us to deliver immediate utility—saving you unnecessary travel and confirming storefront availability instantly.

USER-GENERATED UPDATES & COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS

Is It Open is built upon a collaborative community model where users and local business owners actively contribute to the accuracy of operating schedules. When you submit a status update, report a modified holiday schedule, or verify the open/closed state of a storefront, this contribution is extremely valuable to everyone.

To maintain the reliability of the platform, your contribution is linked to basic system identifiers. This process is necessary to prevent spam, detect malicious submissions, and ensure overall directory integrity for the entire community.

We do not expose your private identity or personal contact credentials to the public. Any community feedback or operational logs you submit are analyzed solely to cross-reference storefront accuracy and protect our registry database from duplicate or fraudulent listings.

SECURITY MEASURES & ACCESS CONTROLS

We implement robust, industry-standard administrative, physical, and technical security measures to safeguard your data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Security is integrated into every layer of our platform's architecture.

All communication between the Application and our secure Firebase cloud servers is encrypted using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols. Access to any internal operational databases is strictly restricted to authorized administrative personnel on a need-to-know basis.

Despite our comprehensive security frameworks, please be aware that no transmission method over the internet or electronic storage solution is absolutely flawless. We continuously audit our infrastructure, implement safety patches, and update our systems to identify and resolve potential vulnerabilities.

THIRD-PARTY SERVICES & ANALYTICS STACK

The Application utilizes a trusted selection of third-party SDKs and industry-standard service providers, including Google Play Services, Google Analytics, and Firebase Crashlytics. These tools allow us to analyze application stability, monitor performance trends, and deliver automated system updates.

These integration partners may automatically collect limited technical metadata—such as operating system versions, device models, unique device identifiers, and crash reports. This technical data is crucial for diagnosing software bugs and enhancing overall usability.

Each of these external platforms operates under its own respective privacy policies and security standards. We encourage you to review their independent data handling practices in detail to fully understand how they protect your information across various services.

USER EMPOWERMENT & PRIVACY CONTROLS

We believe in giving you absolute authority and control over your personal privacy choices within the Application. You are never forced to share data you are uncomfortable with, and we design our interface to respect your preferences.

You can easily manage, restrict, or completely revoke device-level permissions—such as precise GPS location services or automatic notifications—directly through your mobile operating system's settings menu at any time.

Furthermore, you have the right to request the deletion of any stored preferences or account-related contributions by contacting our support team at isitopen.support@gmail.com. We are committed to processing all legitimate user rights and data access requests promptly, ensuring your preferences are respected and executed in compliance with local privacy standards.

This privacy policy applies to the Is It Open app for mobile devices, together with any related services (collectively, the "Application"). Is It Open is hereby referred to as the "Service Provider".

Information Collection and Use

The Application collects information when you download and use it. This information may include information such as:

Your device's Internet Protocol (IP) address
The pages of the Application that you visit, the time and date of your visit, and the time spent on those pages
The overall time spent on the Application
The type of mobile operating system you use

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

The Application or its third-party SDKs may use cookies, SDKs, pixels, and similar technologies to support functionality, analytics, or service delivery. Where required by applicable law, the Service Provider will obtain consent before using non-essential tracking technologies.

Location Information (Mandatory)

To provide its core functionality of listing and managing nearby open stores, the Application mandates access to your device's precise location services. This mandatory location data is required to search, display, and verify storefront details near you.

Geolocation Services:

The Service Provider may use location data to provide location-based features or content.

Analytics and Improvements:

Aggregated location data may help the Service Provider understand usage patterns and improve performance.

Third-Party Services:

Location data may be shared with third-party services used to support Application functionality, subject to this privacy policy and applicable law.

OVERALL DEVICE PERMISSIONS & ACCESS POLICY

1. CAMERA ACCESS (QR CODE SCANNER)

The Application requests explicit permission to access your device's built-in camera hardware strictly to enable the fully interactive QR Code Scanner feature. This scanner is used exclusively to scan physical shop QR codes, allowing you to instantly open, view, or verify the operational status of a registered business.

We adhere to the highest standard of data privacy and camera feed security. The camera stream is processed transiently and locally in real-time on your mobile device to extract the QR code text payload.

We do not capture, record, store, or transmit any photographic images, video streams, or camera recordings to our databases or third-party servers. Your camera functions solely as an optical reader, maintaining absolute privacy of your surroundings.

2. MANDATORY LOCATION ACCESS (GPS GEOLOCATION)

To provide you with precise, real-time storefront timing details and calculate distances, the Application requires mandatory permission to access your device's GPS geolocation services. This is a mandatory requirement to use the platform. It allows us to dynamically detect registered shops in your immediate vicinity, sorting them by distance and helping you find active storefronts without unnecessary travel.

Your exact geographical coordinates are used strictly for localized distance calculations and are never saved or stored in our cloud databases. We do not construct historical maps of your physical movements, track your device when the application is closed, or share your live location with external advertisers.

Geolocation is processed as a transient utility, enabling immediate convenience while keeping your physical footprint secure.

3. NOTIFICATION ACCESS (ALERTS & UPDATES)

The Application may request permission to send push notifications directly to your mobile device. These alerts are sent to keep you informed about critical shop timing changes, holiday schedules, official status announcements, or local community updates related to businesses you follow or interact with.

All notifications are designed to be helpful, informative, and completely non-intrusive. We do not send marketing spam or unsolicited promotional advertisements.

You retain complete authority over these alerts and can easily customize, silence, or completely disable notification permissions at any time through your mobile device's system settings without degrading the application's core searching capabilities.

4. MICROPHONE ACCESS (VOICE SEARCH & AI VOICE ASSISTANT)

The Application requests explicit runtime permission to access your device's microphone hardware strictly and solely when you voluntarily activate the interactive Voice Search or Voice Assistant feature. This audio input is utilized exclusively to convert spoken commands into text queries, allowing you to hands-free search for nearby shops, categories, timings, and directions.

We practice strict on-device data minimization: the microphone is active only while the voice recognition interface is visibly open and actively listening to your query. The audio stream is processed transiently and instantly converted to search text using your device's standard speech-to-text recognition engine.

We never record, save, store, or transmit your voice clips, background audio, or audio recordings to our persistent cloud databases or any third-party marketing entities. Microphone access is completely optional and can be granted or revoked at any time via your device settings without affecting traditional text search or standard map navigation.

Your Rights

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data held by the Service Provider. To exercise these rights, or to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, contact the Service Provider at isitopen.support@gmail.com.

Your California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to delete personal information, the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising these rights. To exercise your CCPA/CPRA rights, contact the Service Provider at isitopen.support@gmail.com.

The Service Provider may use the information you provide to send important information, required notices, and, where permitted by law, marketing communications.

For a better experience while using the Application, the Service Provider may require you to provide certain personally identifiable information, including but not limited to Phone Number, Name, Shop Name, Shop Address, Location Data, Camera Access, and Microphone Access (for Voice Assistant). The information the Service Provider requests will be retained and used as described in this privacy policy.

Third Party Access

Only aggregated, anonymized data is periodically transmitted to external services to aid the Service Provider in improving the Application and their service. The Service Provider may share your information with third parties in the ways that are described in this privacy statement.

International Data Transfers

The Service Provider or its third-party service providers may transfer personal data to countries outside your country of residence, including outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Where applicable law requires safeguards for international transfers, the Service Provider will use appropriate mechanisms:

Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission
Adequacy decisions or other legally recognized transfer mechanisms
Your consent, where required and legally permitted

Data protection laws in other countries may differ from those in your jurisdiction. Where required by law, the Service Provider will apply appropriate safeguards and obtain any consent required for the transfer.

Third-Party Services Privacy Policies

Please note that the Application utilizes third-party services that have their own Privacy Policy about handling data. Below are the links to the Privacy Policy of the third-party service providers used by the Application:

Disclosure of Information

The Service Provider may disclose User Provided and Automatically Collected Information:

As required by law, such as to comply with a subpoena or similar legal process;
When they believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect their rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request;
With their trusted services providers who work on their behalf, do not have an independent use of the information the Service Provider discloses to them, and have agreed to adhere to the rules set forth in this privacy statement.

Opt-Out Rights

You can stop further collection of information from your mobile device by uninstalling the Application. Uninstalling will stop the Application from collecting data from your device, but it does not automatically delete information that has already been transmitted to the Service Provider or to third parties.

To request deletion of your personal data, to withdraw consent, or to exercise any of your rights, contact the Service Provider at isitopen.support@gmail.com.

Data Retention Policy

The Service Provider retains personal data based on its necessity for the stated purposes:

User Provided Data: Retained for the duration of your use of the Application plus 12 months thereafter, unless longer retention is required by law.
Automatically Collected Data: Retained for up to 24 months from collection, unless longer retention is required for legal compliance.
Aggregated and Anonymized Data: Retained indefinitely as it no longer identifies you.
Data required for legal compliance: Retained as long as required by applicable law.

You may request deletion of your personal data, subject to any legal obligation to retain it. If you want the Service Provider to delete User Provided Data submitted through the Application, please contact them at isitopen.support@gmail.com. Please note that some User Provided Data may be required for the Application to function properly.

Data Deletion

You can request deletion of your personal data or account by contacting the Service Provider at isitopen.support@gmail.com. The Service Provider will process your request within the timeframes required by applicable law.

Upon verification of your identity, the Service Provider will delete your personal data from its systems, except where retention is required for legal compliance or legitimate business purposes.

Children

The Application is not intended for children under 13 years of age, or such higher age as required by applicable law. The Service Provider does not knowingly solicit data from children or market the Application to them.

Where parental or guardian consent is required under applicable law, the Application is not intended for use without that consent. The Service Provider does not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under 13 years of age in violation of applicable law.

In the event the Service Provider discovers that a child has provided personal information, the Service Provider will immediately delete this from their servers.

If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided the Service Provider with personal information, please contact the Service Provider (isitopen.support@gmail.com) so that they will be able to take the necessary actions.

Security

The Service Provider is concerned about safeguarding the confidentiality of your information. The Service Provider provides physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect information the Service Provider processes and maintains.

Data Breach Notification

If a data breach occurs that affects your personal data, the Service Provider will notify you in accordance with applicable legal requirements, including, where required, providing information about the nature of the breach and the steps being taken to address it.

Changes

The Service Provider may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The Service Provider will notify you of material changes by posting the updated Privacy Policy with an effective date. Where required by law, the Service Provider will seek your consent to material changes before they take effect.

Previous versions of this Privacy Policy will be maintained and made available upon request by contacting the Service Provider at isitopen.support@gmail.com.

Your Consent

Where processing is based on consent, you provide that consent by affirmatively opting in to the relevant feature or action. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting processing carried out before withdrawal. Processing based on other lawful bases is carried out as described above.

GST COLLECTION & BUSINESS IDENTIFICATION POLICY

1. VOLUNTARY SUBMISSION & NON-MANDATORY NATURE

We collect and store Goods and Services Tax (GST) numbers from registered store owners and merchant partners on a strictly voluntary and optional basis during the shop onboarding process. The submission of a GST number is not mandatory for using our service, nor does it affect the core functionality of listing, updating, or managing operational hours.

Because this submission is entirely optional, Is It Open assumes absolutely no responsibility, duty of care, or liability if a store owner inputs a wrong, false, or invalid GST number. Furthermore, we are not responsible for any issues, legal penalties, tax queries, or business disruptions that a store owner may encounter as a result of choosing to share their GST information, as it is a fully optional attribute.

2. BUSINESS REGISTRY INTEGRITY & DUPLICATION PREVENTION

The primary purpose of collecting GST details is to construct a highly reliable and robust business directory that is protected from fraudulent, spam, or duplicate storefront listings. This optional credential serves as an additional trust indicator, letting potential patrons know that a registered store has a legitimate commercial footprint.

Although this provides structured organizational benefits, the decision to associate a GST number with a listing is a self-declared merchant attribute. Is It Open does not guarantee the status of any store, and any associated consequences of listing a business remain the sole responsibility of the respective store owner.

3. CLOUD STORAGE, ACCESS SECURITY & ENCRYPTION POLICIES

We prioritize the absolute safety and security of all commercial credentials submitted by our merchant partners. Any voluntarily provided GST number is securely stored inside our Firebase Firestore database environments, protected by advanced industry-standard access controls and network encryption protocols.

This identification data is processed strictly for internal registry management, duplicate shop prevention, and administrative verification purposes. We do not sell, rent, lease, or distribute your GST registration details or commercial identifiers to third-party marketing companies, advertisers, or unauthorized external entities under any circumstances.

4. NO REAL-TIME VALIDATION & USER DISCRETION DISCLAIMER

Since we do not actively perform real-time verification or validation checks of the submitted GST identification numbers against official government databases or tax authorities at this time, the inclusion of a GST number on any public store listing does not constitute an official verification, endorsement, or certification by Is It Open.

We accept no liability or responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or legal disputes resulting from false credentials uploaded by registered shopkeepers, nor are we liable if an owner experiences problems due to public display of this voluntary data. Customers and visitors of the Application are strongly advised to exercise their own discretion and verify credentials independently if engaging in any direct commercial or financial transactions with a listed storefront.

5. MERCHANT PROFILE CONTROL, UPDATES & DELETION RIGHTS

Registered store owners retain full ownership, administrative control, and authority over the business credentials they choose to associate with their digital shop profiles. You are never locked into displaying information you no longer wish to share with the public.

If you have previously submitted a GST number and wish to modify, update, or permanently delete it from our servers, you can do so directly through the partner dashboard or by reaching out to our support team. Upon receiving a legitimate deletion request, we will permanently purge the associated GST record from our active databases and backup files, ensuring your business data preferences are fully respected.

If you have any questions regarding privacy while using the Application, or have questions about the practices, please contact the Service Provider via email at isitopen.support@gmail.com.